Page 58 of His Kingdom

“She just needs to sleep. She’ll be fine.”

“Okay, let’s go.” I take hold of Charlotte’s hand. She has Evie’s in her other, and I don’t miss the way she keeps looking at her friend with concern.

Sammie and Carlo climb into the second car, while Emmanuel climbs into the front of ours.

Before we get back to the Royal Flush, Evie is asleep. “You might wanna wake her up,” I tell Charlotte. “We’re almost there.”

“I can’t. She won’t wake up for a while now.”

“What do you mean?” This comes from Emmanuel, who turns to look at Evie. I don’t know what his deal is, but he needs to get a hold of himself. This girl is not for him.

“She has insomnia. She stays awake for days at a time, and then she’ll just crash and sleep for hours without getting up,” Charlotte explains. “We won’t be able to wake her.”

“It’s okay.” Emmanuel gets out of the car as soon as it stops in front of the casino. “I’ve got her,” he says, opening the back door and scooping Evie into his arms.

“Are you sure?” Charlotte asks.

He nods. “Lead the way. Where is her room?”

I take everyone over to the staff elevator to save the trip through the casino floor. After leaving Evie in bed, I tell Emmanuel I’ll catch up with him tomorrow and wait for the elevator to close. It was obvious he didn’t want to leave Evie alone. But Charlotte assured him that she’d be asleep for at least sixteen hours.

I guide Charlotte into my penthouse. I guess it’sourpenthouse now. “Shit, I did it wrong,” I say, opening the door again. “Redo.”

I take her back to the other side of the door and pick her up. She squeals. “What are you doing?”

“Carrying my wife over the threshold.” I smile.

“Oh.” Once we’re inside again, I lock the door and carry Charlotte into the bedroom. I’ve been waiting all fucking night to get this dress off her.

“Say it again,” she whispers.

“Say what?”

“Your wife,” she tells me.

“You, Mrs. Giuliani, are my wife. Mine.”

“I think I like being your wife already.” She giggles.

“Good, because forever would be a long time to not like it.” I toss Charlotte onto the bed. She lands in the middle of the king-size mattress, and her hair fans out around her like a halo. “I think you might actually be an angel.”

“I’m not.” She laughs.

“Agree to disagree.” I climb onto the bed and lie next to her. Charlotte turns her face towards mine, and my hand cups her cheek. “I love you.” My words are soft, barely a whisper.

“I… I feel like I’m falling in love with you more and more every minute,” Charlotte says.

“I’m going to make sure you never have a reason to stop falling,” I tell her while praying that I can actually deliver on that promise.

ChapterTwenty-Eight

Mrs. Giuliani. That’s me. I’m her. I really married Louie, a man who is basically a stranger.

Sure, I know what his touch feels like. I know that I am falling in love with him. But marriage? It’s insane, and yet I couldn’t think of a single reason not to be with him. To be his.

There is that whole he killed my ex thing, though. Not that he’s confirmed it. He doesn’t have to, because I don’t for an instance think he didn’t do it. And still, I find myself not wanting to be anywhere else but right here. In bed with him.

“Louie?”

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